Chamber Narrowly Affirms Choice Of Farr As President

SANFORD — The Greater Sanford Chamber of Commerce board of directors Thursday narrowly affirmed the selection of City Commissioner Dave Farr as the group's president.

Farr, who was out of town and unavailable for comment, will decide over the weekend whether he will accept the $33,240-a-year job, said Shirley Schilke, chairwoman of the chamber's board of directors.

Schilke said some ''behind-the-scenes politicking for a no vote'' led to the 10 to 9 vote. A week ago the chamber's executive committee voted unanimously to recommend Farr.

Vice chairman Duke Adamson, who becomes chairman Jan. 1, said the vote probably would not have been so close if all of Farr's supporters on the board had shown up. Nineteen of 37 directors were present. Many who did not attend assumed that approval of Farr was routine, he said.

Some of those who voted against Farr did so because they did not understand the process of having the executive committee make a recommendation, Adamson said.

Immediately after the vote, chamber vice president Vic Arnett resigned from his paid position with the chamber. Arnett and Farr were finalists for the job of president, a position held for more than 12 years by Jack Horner, who retired June 30.

Arnett, a longtime chamber member, will continue to serve on the board of directors, Schilke said. It will be up to Farr to decide whether an assistant is needed, she said. Arnett was given the paid position earlier in the year.

The close vote will not hurt the chamber, Schilke said, adding that by the end of Thursday's meeting board members indicated they were 100 percent behind Farr's selection.